One thing anyone reading this can probably agree on is that democracy is good, and also that we’re running a little short on it these days! Beyond voting for candidates and occasional ballot initiatives, people have no real direct say in how we are governed or what our society prioritizes.  

Peoples’ democratic input is even less present in their workplaces where the demands of the employer take total priority over employee needs. Organizing inside the workplace is crucial if workers are to have any direct say in their working conditions, and labor unions provide the structure for this collective power, offering workers a voice they wouldn’t have individually!

Artwork by Margaret Palmquist (IG: @swedishsummers)

At LIJWJ, we believe people ought to have democratic say over every aspect of their lives, including their workplaces, and we fight for that through organizing with labor partners and community supporters. Your support will help us continue to empower workers and strengthen efforts to grow democracy in the workplace!

One way we support growing democracy and worker power is through our Workers’ Rights Board, a community-based strategy that improves and enforces workers’ rights through collective pressure. The Board gives workers a public platform to share their struggles and hold employers accountable. One notable success was our work with Starbucks Workers United to support local Starbucks baristas, where we issued a Workers’ Rights Board report highlighting worker grievances, leading to the removal of an abusive manager who had been ignored by Starbucks corporate for over a year. The report sent a clear message: no PR can hide the company’s mistreatment of workers!

Read the report and see how we took action!

Over the past year, we’ve also stood strong with Long Island nurses fighting for safe staffing and wage parity, autoworkers at South Shore KIA securing their first union contract, custodial workers at Molloy University demanding fair wages, and healthcare workers working to protect Medicaid. LIJWJ has been at the forefront, mobilizing and organizing community support every step of the way.

We are inching closer to our goal and every little bit helps – donate today! With your support we can make sure LIJWJ has many more years of showing up for local workers and building even stronger collective power for future victories.  And remember, every dollar donated will be doubled for greater impact!

In solidarity,

Long Island Jobs with Justice